And I have to repeat the obvious, because some have forgotten: This Land IS Our Land. Between insecurity, anxiety and fear, we must admit fear, and what one fears. You know, it terrorizes me to think that we could be the next victims of these strange men. What will become of our future? Will there be a future for us? How will we defend ourselves? What can we do to ensure that our people survive, that they will overcome this crisis? How do we stop the invasion of these heartless savages? I ask the Almighty to hear my prayers.

Short Story

Images by The University of Texas at Austin: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/history_texas.html

Por Arturo Ramírez

(Translated from Spanish by Rochelle Trotter)

Letter from one of our Tejano compatriots, written in 1824, found and transcribed by Arturo Ramírez. Translated from Spanish by Rochelle Trotter.

My Very Dear Friend,

I’m writing you this letter because I am very concerned. More and more, I am depressed by a mysterious terror. Please, give me your advice. The thing is, I have noticed how more and more foreigners are invading our land. I know we allowed some to come, but the situation has become chaotic.

The reality is that they keep coming, these people with a different culture from our own. They speak their own language-which frankly I do not understand at all, but is called English. It has very ugly sounds. All of this makes me feel more and more frustrated every day. I tell you my friend, and I do not wish to exaggerate, these foreigners provoke a certain fear in me, with their ways that are so distinctly different. I do not understand the unpleasantness that radiates from them.

We just do not know what to do. I tell you, it is a plain invasion. You see them everywhere. I tell you, they keep coming. One small bit of carelessness and now we find ourselves in an abyss. You know, even though they promised to speak our language, these foreigners continue to speak their own language. It is terrifying to hear it all around you. We simply don’t know what to do. When I wake up in the morning I hear beautiful birds and, at the same time, the course sounds of their language. However, this does not matter to these brazen and arrogant invaders.

Yes, my friend, it is an overwhelming wave. What advice do you have? How can we stop wave after wave of these invaders? Please, what do you suggest so that we can return to a peaceful, normal life, like we had before?

Look, my friend, these illegals have absolutely no respect for our laws. The first few that came promised to speak our language and to live by our laws. Frankly, it is now clear that they do not even respect us as human beings, but rather brazenly continue to harass us. Now, we are surrounded. They keep coming, more and more of them, moving into our land. I think that they like it here, as we do. Well, I repeat, it is a clear invasion and our terror continues to grow. I have to say that everything has gone from bad to worse. I tell you this outside of my own personal concerns. Everyone thinks like I do and they are terrified and scared. Nonetheless, we continue to look for something we can do.

It started slowly, growing little by little. Now, the truth of the matter is we are dealing with an overwhelming wave. My God, how did this all start? Why? I believe that God forgot about us. I tell you, my friend, they are everywhere. There are so many; it’s like dealing with a tumultuous swarm of stupid ants. Frankly, there are so many of these outsiders that they continue to take over the land, and it is not just us that they are displacing.

These men are very strange. At first they said they would respect the holy Catholic Church and convert. Then, entire families would arrive. They said they would learn our language, but they have absolutely no understanding of respect. Only Joseph, Mary and Jesus hear their blasphemies, ones not worthy for our families. They are more interested in their own ways, that is, being bullies and thugs….always with their whiskey. Many are single men, and claim they will soon send for their families. Others chase after our women, some Ladinas, or find their women in the bars.

It seems they dominate us not only by their numbers, but also for their character and arrogance. They have brought some black men and their families as slaves, those that we have already liberated, but they have not. We know how they make blacks work. These evil men do not seem to think that blacks are human. True, we know how much blacks work. Here in Texas we provide shelter for fugitive blacks that suffer over there in the northern land. Lands from which the invaders came, called Tennessee and Carolina, like the name of one of my (female) friends. It pains me to tell you that at times, we ourselves have not dealt well with those poor blacks, slaves or not.

But these illegal strangers that I mention to you seem to almost like to dedicate themselves to the poor treatment of their slaves, as if they were beasts. Oh, my dear friend, the suffering, they beat them, they force them to cope with impossible work camps, and with the most minimal food, clothing and shelter. In other words, my friend, these invaders continue doing their own thing upon the soil of our beautiful Texas. And, at times, they chase down black women.

And I have to repeat the obvious, because some have forgotten: This Land IS Our Land. Between insecurity, anxiety and fear, we must admit fear, and what one fears. You know, it terrorizes me to think that we could be the next victims of these strange men. What will become of our future? Will there be a future for us? How will we defend ourselves? What can we do to ensure that our people survive, that they will overcome this crisis? How do we stop the invasion of these heartless savages? I ask the Almighty to hear my prayers.

I want to do everything necessary so that we do not suffer the same abuse as the poor beings I just mentioned – or, even, become another group, one dispossessed of all humanity. We are very aware of what these ruthless invaders can do. My friend, as is clear, what I fear most is that the will trample us with their boots, as if we were crickets. Perhaps you, my dear friend, have some knowledge you can share with us. I trust you. The outside is already inside, frankly. The immediate reality is desperate, sad, yet still, I think there is time. What should be done in this moment? We have to act as soon as possible. We are talking about nothing less than a crisis of immediate and enormous proportions. In the immediacy of this emergency, I shout “Fire!” There is no doubt that the well-being, and perhaps even the existence of all of us is at risk. Will we continue to exist?

A moment ago I heard a heated argument. Swearing, shouting, chaotic noise, and the discharge of a rifle. My dear friend, it is obvious that absolutely everything is at stake. I hope to hear from you very soon, even though, your courteous friend assures you that self-defense is permitted.